Publications

April 1, 2013

College Increasing Solar Energy Production

Western Nevada College’s campuses are bolstering efforts to use green energy, increase energy sustainability and save on energy bills. Construction has begun on the first solar array display at the Douglas Campus, and a third display for the Carson City campus is scheduled to be built later this spring.

Black Rock Solar of Reno has been commissioned to oversee both projects, which will generate 50 kilowatts of energy. The WNC Douglas array will sit southwest of Bently Hall, with completion scheduled for May.

The new Carson City campus array is planned to sit east of the E. L. Cord Automotive Technology Center.

In 2011, Black Rock Solar constructed WNC’s first solar array display, 840 ground-mounted panels that produce 200 kilowatts. In 2012, a 418-panel arrangement that can produce 100-kilowatts of energy was placed adjacent to the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Technology. Those two solar array projects are expected to save the college $38,000 per year in energy costs, and the two 2013 projects will provide additional savings.